Munson

Founded in 1919, Munson’s Museum of Art features a renowned permanent collection, rotating exhibitions, and education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds. Munson believes in the power of the arts and serves their entire community with essential experiences that inspire personal and cultural transformation.

Since its inception, Munson has been an active participant in ongoing community discussions about American democracy. From collecting works created by women artists and artists of color to sponsoring citizenship and naturalization ceremonies such as those held in February 1998 and in July 2006, Munson looks to strengthen public awareness of socio-political matters through its collections, programming, education, and community engagement. These efforts are strongly supported by a rich array of archival materials and diverse collections.

Because of its bustling community and location within the central nexus of upper New York State, Utica was an early target for the women’s suffrage movement’s organizational efforts. Beginning in the 1850s, lectures and public meetings were held regularly featuring national speakers of great renown. Munson holds collections that relate to personages who were instrumental in other important civic movements such as abolition, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. The collecting of artworks by women and underrepresented cultures is a pillar of the Munson 2020 Strategic Plan, which calls for 75% of the annual acquisitions of artwork to be related to these constituencies to increase diversity within the collection.

Munson is a unique and enriching space for community education and engagement. There is a very deep commitment to participation in the American Democratic processes that emanates outward to the community through unconditional inclusion and encouragement of discussions through programming.